All - Leep Calendar

The first Saturday of December is National Skywarn Recognition Day. Developed in 1999 by the National Weather Service and the American Radio Relay League, the day honors and celebrates the essential contribution of volunteer SKYWARN radio operators to the National Weather Service.

Africa

Dec

Slavery Abolition, World Day of (1807): December 2

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World Day of Slavery Abolition marks the anniversary of the December 2, 1807, act prohibiting the importation of slaves becoming federal law in the United States. It abolished the international slave trade in the United States but did not end the practice. Currently, the United Nations seeks to resolve the issue of slavery with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as its roadmap for stamping out the root causes of slavery and freeing all enslaved people in the world.

Africa

Dec

Special Education Day, (1975) Ntl.: December 2

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National Special Education Day is a historic anniversary of the nation's first federal special education law, adopted on this day in 1975. It's a day that honors and celebrates students with disabilities, their teachers, parents, and schools, and the progress they and we are making. This event first ran in 2004.

Africa

Dec

Walter Plinge Day (UK): December 2

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What do all these people have in common with Walter Plinge, George Spelvin, David Agnew, and Alan Smithee? They are all theater names, or pseudonyms, for uncast parts or when an actor wishes to hide his identity. The theater and entertainment worlds each have their superstitions and traditions. Walter Plinge is the London theater world's tradition. Sir Walter Plinge is said to have a ghost in residence at London's Imperial College Union Concert Hall. Walter Plinge Day honors this mythical thespian.

Africa

Dec

Advent (C): December 3- 24

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The season of Advent occurs in the four weeks leading up to Christmas. It's about preparing the mind, body, and soul for the Messiah's joyous arrival and marking the church's birth. What is the Messiah, and how does this differ between Christianity, Islam, and Judaism? Here's a bare-bones mini-messianic primer for those not familiar with Abrahamic faiths. Christians believe Jesus Christ is the Messiah (savior and liberator of the people) promised to the Israelites and the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Muslims believe Jesus is a prophet of God but not a Messiah. Many of His sermons and teachings are in the Qu'ran. Judaism believes Jesus is a man who lived and was a teacher (rabbi), not the Messiah promised, nor a prophet. Judaism believes the Messiah is yet to come. Okay, so the cousins don't agree on everything. No surprise there. Advent is a Christian celebration unique to its faith. However, has it always been observed as it is today? NOW & THEN The commercialization and the secularization of Christmas during the past century shifted the public understanding of Advent. Today it is more likely to signify the beginning of the Christmas shopping and party season. Festivities begin in late November and end on New Year's Day. Traditionally, Advent was a 40-day fast, similar to Ramadan, a time of preparation, prayer, and solemn reflection beginning on November 12 and continuing through Christmas Eve. Observant Christians abstained from celebrations until Christmas Eve, including putting up their trees. In the ninth century, Advent became four weeks long and followed the traditions of Lent, featuring abstinence in exchange for complete daylight fasting. Until the last two centuries, Christmas music and parties only occurred during Christmastide (Christmas Eve through January 5). The Christmas feast marked the end of fasting and the commencement of the celebrations. ADVENT TRADITIONS ADVENT CALENDARS: Advent Calendars have been a favorite European tradition for centuries within Protestant and Catholic faiths. It is common for children to have an Advent Calendar beginning December 1 to mark off the days until Christmas. Eastern Orthodox faiths begin Advent on November 15, but western churches celebrate Advent during the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. Advent Calendars come in many forms, the most common being a paper version with windows corresponding to a particular day, which children open to see a picture inside. Other forms include candy or little drawers with coins. The purpose of the Advent Calendar is to count down the days until the birth of the Messiah by marking each day with an event designed to remind each person of the upcoming miracle. Advent comes from the Latin "advenio," which means "to come to." The Advent season is about preparing for the arrival of the Messiah—the birth of Jesus Christ. ADVENT WREATH: The Advent wreath originated in Germany and began as a Lutheran tradition before moving to the Catholic and Anglican churches and is similar to the lighting of the menorah in Judaism at Hanukah, but the reason and purpose are different. The menorah represents the eight days lamp oil lasted during a war that allowed the Israelites to recapture and re-consecrate their temple. The Advent wreath, with its four candles (three purple and one rose) in a circle surrounded by evergreens (symbolizing hope and eternal life), represents preparation for the Messiah's birth. A large white taper candle is often in the center for lighting the other candles. In church, the vestitures of the clergy and drapings of the altar will be purple or rose, coinciding with each Sunday of Advent. On the first Sunday of Advent, Christians light a single purple candle and continue to light it each night of the week. On the second Sunday, a second purple candle joins it, burning together until the third Sunday when a rose candle, representing Gaudete (Rejoice), is lit. Gaudete marks the halfway point of the season and is accompanied by relaxing the rules and adding colors and flowers. These three candles, two purple and one rose carry through each night until the final Sunday of Advent, when all four candles burn together, signaling that the feasting begins! The Advent wreath is prominent in Christmas celebrations today, though it is often mistaken for a pretty centerpiece rather than its true purpose. ADVENT MUSIC: Since music is relegated to Christmastide, there aren't a lot of Advent songs. However, the following carols are about it. O Come, O Come Emmanuel Gaudete Twelve Days of Christmas. That's Advent. It marks the beginning of the Christian liturgical and ecclesiastic year, which is central to the faith and the celebration of Christmas. A blessed Advent to all those observing. This article is adapted from the interactive edition of The Storybook Advent Calendar: 24 Stories for Christmas by Lewis Brech (LD Lewis & Michael Brech), available on Apple iBooks, Kindle, and GooglePlay. The music, performed by Michael Brech, is also available on iTunes, iHeart, Amazon, and other streaming services via Storybook Advent Carols Collection Volume One: 20 American Christmas Classics and Storybook Advent Carols Collection Volume Two: 20 British Christmas Classics.

Africa

Dec

Be a Blessing Day: December 3

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Be a Blessing Day honors The Bible/Tanakh verse Genesis/Bereishit 12:3. This day is about orchestrating your life to be a blessing to others, breaking down barriers, and forging unity between all mankind. This verse 12:3 explains a promise from God to Abram (Abraham/Ibrahim) for his obedience and faith.

The three great religions of The Book originate from Abram: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Jesus Christ and the Prophet Mohammed are both descendants of Abram. All three faiths and their followers include this scripture in their books. The differences occur in the telling.

The Tanakh and Bible tend to narrate genealogy in this chapter. The Qur'an tells a narrative, or Sura, from a religious rather than genealogical perspective:

Tanakh version—Bereishit 12:3: "And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you."

Bible version—Genesis 12:3: "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

Qur'an version—Surah An-Nisa 4:125: "And whose way of life could be better than that of he who submits his whole being to Allah, does good, and follows exclusively the way of Abraham whom Allah took for a friend?."

This event was first held in 2015.

Africa

Dec

Clerc-Galladet Week (1787): December 3-10

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The District of Columbia Public Library established Clerc-Gallaudet Week in 1974 to honor two pioneers in deaf education, Laurent Clerc, born December 26, 1785, and Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, born December 10, 1787.

Clerc was a deaf teacher from France, and Gallaudet was a hearing minister from Connecticut. The two met in 1815, and together they would create the foundation for American Sign Language, deaf culture, and deaf education in the United States. This annual celebration honors their achievements and supports the needs of America's deaf community.

Africa

Dec

E-Discovery Day: December 3

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E-Discovery Day is one of the largest national gatherings of legal professionals. It's a day that allows us to celebrate our increasingly important role as attorneys, litigators, e-discovery specialists, paralegals, and in-house counsel in the Legal GRC space. PLEASE NOTE: Treat all televised and venue-specific events (sporting, concerts, trade shows, etc.) as estimated. Several factors can cause an event to move dates at the last minute, including weather, strikes, natural disasters, political upheaval, conflicting programming, pandemics, and current events. Because of this, always verify the event with the promotor before committing resources. LEEP often estimates dates based on the previous year's schedules, as the final dates are only a few months, weeks, or days before the event. If the date is known to be estimated, you will see an (est) following the date in the title.

Africa

Dec

First Sunday of Advent (C): December 3

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The first Sunday of Advent marks the beginning of the liturgical year and the commencement of the Advent season in Christianity. Today, violet or blue colored vestitures adorn the clergy and the first blue or violet Advent candle is lit. The season of Advent occurs in the four weeks leading up to Christmas. It's about preparing the mind, body, and soul for the Messiah's joyous arrival and marking the church's birth. Advent comes from the Latin "advenio," which means "to come to." The Advent season is about preparing for the arrival of the Messiah—the birth of Jesus Christ. Orthodox Christians tend to celebrate Christmas at the end of Christmastide, January 6, and Western Christians celebrate on the 25th of December.

Africa

Dec

Handwashing Awareness Week: December 3-9

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"Handwashing is the new vaccine!" is one of the slogans we see during December's National Handwashing Awareness Week. Help spread the word and raise awareness on this simple way to combat the spread of disease.

Africa

Dec

Influenza Vaccination Week, Ntl.: December 3-9

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National Influenza Vaccination Week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the annual push to convince people to get immunized against the flu, especially the elderly and young, who are most susceptible.

Africa

Dec

Make a Gift Day: December 3

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Make a Gift Day is a day specially devoted to the act of creating a gift for someone you love. Use your talents to draw, paint, craft or sew. Write a poem or a song. Create a playlist of your favorite songs for your favorite person. Whatever it is, what is essential is that it is created rather than bought. Make a Gift Day can also be a day to do some good by giving money, time, or resources to your favorite charity.

Africa

Dec

Persons with Disabilities, International Day of: December 3

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The United Nations International Day of Persons With Disabilities highlights the struggles and triumphs of 20% of the world's population. It is estimated that around one billion people live with some form of disability worldwide. The day aims to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic, and cultural life. The annual observance was proclaimed in 1992 by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3.

Africa

Dec

PKU, Phenylketonuria Awareness Day, Ntl.: December 3 (est)

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117th CONGRESS, 1st Session, S. RES. 469 Designating December 3, 2021, as "National Phenylketonuria Awareness Day." Whereas phenylketonuria (in this preamble referred to as "PKU'' is a rare, inherited metabolic disorder characterized by the inability of the body to process the essential amino acid phenylalanine and that causes intellectual disability and other neurological problems, such as memory loss and mood disorders, when treatment is not started within the first few weeks of life; Whereas PKU is also referred to as Phenylalanine Hydroxylase Deficiency; Whereas newborn screening for PKU was first initiated in the United States in 1963, became mandatory in most States in 1966, and was recommended for inclusion in State newborn screening programs under the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-204; 122 Stat. 705); Whereas approximately 1 out of every 15,000 infants in the United States is born with PKU; Whereas PKU is treated with medical foods that limit phenylalanine; Whereas the 2012 Phenylketonuria Scientific Review Conference affirmed the recommendation of lifelong dietary treatment for PKU made by the National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference Statement in 2000; Whereas, in 2014, the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and Genetic Metabolic Dieticians International published medical and dietary guidelines on the optimal treatment of PKU; Whereas medical foods are necessary for children and adults living with PKU; Whereas adults with PKU who discontinue treatment are at risk for serious medical issues, such as depression, impulse control disorder, phobias, tremors, and pareses; Whereas women with PKU must maintain strict metabolic control before and during pregnancy to prevent fetal damage; Whereas children born from untreated mothers with PKU may have a condition known as "maternal phenylketonuria syndrome," which can cause small brains, intellectual disabilities, congenital disabilities of the heart, and low birth weights; Whereas although there is no cure for PKU, treatment involving medical foods, medications, and restriction of phenylalanine intake can prevent progressive, irreversible brain damage; Whereas access to medical foods varies across the United States, and the long-term costs associated with caring for untreated children and adults with PKU have a substantial financial impact on families, individuals, and society; Whereas access to medical foods can prevent detrimental effects on individuals with PKU, their families, and society; Whereas scientists and researchers are hopeful that breakthroughs in PKU research will be forthcoming; Whereas researchers across the United States are conducting important projects involving PKU; and Whereas the Senate is an institution that can raise awareness of PKU among the general public and the medical community: Now, therefore, be it be resolved, That the Senate— (1) designates December 3, 2021, as "National Phenylketonuria Awareness Day," (2) encourages all individuals in the United States to become more informed about phenylketonuria and the role of medical foods in treating phenylketonuria; and (3) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the National PKU Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with phenylketonuria.

Africa

Dec

Roof Over Your Head Day, Ntl.: December 3

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National Roof Over Your Head Day is a simple day with a simple message—remember how lucky you are if you have a roof over your head and help those less fortunate than you.

Africa